Connor Donley: A Rising Tennis Star and Exemplar of Sportsmanship Garners Prestigious Awards

Connor Donley, a 2023 graduate of Clinton High School, recently received two prestigious tennis awards, the Malloy Evans Memorial Sportsmanship Award at the Palmetto Championships in Belton, and a South Carolina Tennis Patrons Foundation scholarship.

He competed in the Boy’s 18-and-under at Belton where he played 5 matches, winning 3 to finish 11th.  His results were:

• First Round defeated Leo Nedlove of Hilton Head
• Second Round lost Drew Rukavina of Hilton Head
• Consolation defeated Nolan Cahill of Conway
• Consolation defeated Colin Drake of Greer
• Consolation Semifinals lost Blake Queiroz of Daniel Island

After his final match Donley was awarded the Malloy Evans Memorial Sportsmanship Award.  This award has been presented annually since 1981, and is given to a boy or girl, usually in the 18-and-under age division.  The player must exhibit a good attitude and excellent sportsmanship on and off the court throughout their junior career, especially during the current tournament.  The award is named in memory of Malloy Evans, Sr. who was a pioneer of the Berlton tennis movement in the 1950’s and 1960’s.  Evans served as president of the Belton Tennis Association and the South Carolina Tennis Association.  The award is provided by Evans’ children each year.

Donley was also selected to receive the Jim Russell Scholarship, one of four college scholarships provided by the South Carolina Tennis Patrons Foundation.  Russell was a longtime volunteer and tournament official from Belton who served as president of USTA South Carolina and USTA Southern.  He was the Referee of the Palmetto Championships for over 35 years.

Donley graduated in the top 10% of his class where he took AP and Honors classes and was a member of the National Honor Society and Beta Club.  He was the captain and MVP of the Clinton High School tennis team his junior and senior seasons and led the team to the region championships and upper state finals.  He was All-Region and All-State 3 years, and was the Region 3A Player of the Year his junior and senior seasons.

Donley will be attending Lenoir Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina where he will also play tennis. Connor had this to say in his essay on The Impact of Tennis on My Life: “Tennis has taught me that losing does not mean I am not good enough, but rather things may not always go my way.  This has helped me with confidence on the court and in school.  Tennis has shown me not everything will come easy in life and the importance of the dedication and hard work needed to improve my game every day.  Tennis has always had a huge impact on me, and has taught me things I will use throughout my life.”